Sustainability of sheep farming: case of İzmir province

Objective: The objective of this study was to measure sustainability level of sheep farming and to make suggestions on the policies that could be developed for improving the production, marketing and management of its processes by examining holistically the economic, social and environmental factors which are effective in sheep farming. Material and Methods: The data set of the study obtained from surveys with 126 sheep enterprises in the year 2018 in İzmir. Sustainability has been measured with the aid of a composite index calculated using a series of hierarchical methods. Results: The sustainability composite index was calculated as 28.30% (economic sustainability 14.13%, social sustainability 4.76% and environmental sustainability 9.42%). According to the sustainability level reference developed by FAO, the sustainability of sheep farming in İzmir is at the limit. Conclusion: Economic factors are more effective than social and environmental factors in the sustainability of sheep farming activities. However, improvement of the system and sustainability depends on a holistic approach that considers the evaluation of economic, social and environmental factors